Football team defeats Ohio Wesleyan, 78-21, Comets break NCAA Division III record with 670 rushing yards

The Olivet College football team opened the new Cutler Athletic Complex in fine fashion today with a record-breaking 78-21 win over non-conference foe Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU). The Fighting Comets used 16 different ball carriers to rush for a NCAA Division III record 670 yards. The previous mark was 642 yards by Wisconsin-River Falls on Oct. 14, 1989. Olivet also broke the school record with 33 first downs and 695 yards of total offense. The 78 points tied the school record from 1891.

The Comets jumped out to a 28-0 first quarter lead. Junior Travis Sleight (Battle Creek/Lakeview) scored the first touchdown from six yards out. The Battling Bishops fumbled the ensuing kickoff. Working with a short field, sophomore Kemp Luchie (Grand Rapids/Forest Hills Northern) capped a four-play drive with a two-yard run. After OWU was forced to punt, Sleight finished another four-play drive with a 37-yard touchdown run. Junior Dwight Houston (Detroit/Denby) scored from two yards out to close out the scoring with 3:20 left in the opening quarter. Junior Justin Hunwick (Sterling Heights/Stevenson) nailed all four PAT kicks.

The Bishops got on the scoreboard in the second quarter with a 30-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. On the Comets next possession, junior Ken Lackscheide (Vermontville/MapleValley) punted the ball, but OWU fumbled the return at the 26-yard line. Sleight had a two-yard run to increase the Olivet lead to 35-7. Following a Bishop score, senior fullback Mick Faasen (Belding) answered with an eight-yard run with 35 seconds left before intermission, giving the Comets a 42-15 halftime lead.

Olivet scored the only touchdown of the third quarter when senior quarterback Rick Mason (Belding) connected with junior tight end Josh Ewing (Hopkins) from 25-yards out. In the fourth quarter, sophomore Isaiah Wiltshire (Mississauga, Ontario) sandwiched two touchdowns around scores by sophomore Jared Dell (Mendon) and junior Ryan Bowling (Tekonsha).

For the game, Faasen led the Comet ground attack with 21 carries for 181 yards. Sleight had 86 yards, followed by Luchie with 80 and Dell with 59. Mason completed one-of-three passes for 25 yards. Hunwick broke the school record with 10 PAT kicks. Defensively, freshmen Craig Duncan (Apopka, Fla.) and Jerry Fields (Mt. Morris) had six tackles apiece. Duncan also had a fumble recovery.

OWU was held to 290 total net yards, 105 rushing yards and 185 passing yards. Nick Rice gained 63 net yards on the ground and caught four passes for 106 yards. Tom Thome led the defense with 12 tackles, including nine solo stops.

Olivet will next play Saturday, Sept. 25, when it hosts Manchester (Ind.) College with kick-off slated for 1 p.m.